I'll Be Forever Your Butterfly, Right?
by DansBaby
Summary: What happens when Best Friends Spot Conlon and Stormy end up getting together? Will Spot's Lady's Man rep get the best of him? How can Stormy ever TRULY trust him with knowing all about his nights with the ladies? Drama Suspense Mystery...
1. Fights Never End Pretty

**Hey Everyone! I'm new to so...yeah! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, mmmk? Disney does. However I do own the plot and the way things go so no touchy!**

**Also...I'm not good with the New York dialect...so bear with me, kay? It'll get better with time I promise!**

Now, on with the story!

* * *

A crash was heard and then breaking glass. Shouts of anger and shouts of things dripping with hatred filled the house. From every direction one could hear what was going on in that study. The people working for the family would simply go about their business, paying no mind to what was going on.

This act, as usual, continued for about two hours before things died down and silence once again filled the air. Two sets of feet stomping was heard and then two different doors slamming on wings of the mansion-like house.

If you passed by one door you could hear a rather loud, obnoxious sobbing.

If you passed the other you heard multiple curses and kicks of the door or wall.

And if you passed by the bedroom where a 19 year old girl was to be sleeping you'd hear nothing but silence. One might think she was asleep, but it's always quite the contrary.

* * *

"STORMY!" The angry voice of a nearly fifty year old woman was heard outside of the door of the 19 year old girl's bedroom at the early time of 5:45 AM.

"STORMY! GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!" the mother continued her yelling. Her voice was hard, cruel, and shrill.

The girl, who was already up and dressed, ignored her mother while she pulled her wavy black hair out of her face and into a messy pony tail in front of her full-frame mirror.

"STORMY! I SAID NOW AND I MEAN NOW!" The mother pounded on the door with a clenched fist. The voice was harsh and rude.

"OH ALL RIGHT!" The girl stormed to her door and flung it open. "What. Do. You. Want?" She asked, frustrated and angry. The fight last night was worse than they had been and the girl had gotten almost three hours of sleep, but even her dreams were haunted with the fight.

"Don't take that tone with me." The mother, a beautiful creature with short curly strawberry blonde hair and light green orbs warned her daughter. Her eyes flashed in anger, another warning that the girl was pushing her mother.

Her features were gorgeous to most but to those that really knew her, there was an obvious age and wear on that face that had always held so much beauty.

"Maybe you shouldn't take the same tone with me." Stormy, suggested and went to slam her door.

Before she had a chance however, a loud slap was heard and then retreating footsteps.

Tears filled Stormy's eyes and she slammed the door shut and ran immediately to her full-frame mirror on the other side of the room. A pink mark had already appeared and now accented her pale face. Tears stung her face as they traveled from her eyes down to her cheeks and fell onto the ground, leaving tiny little puddles on the wood floor.

Glaring at her reflection and suddenly no longer sad but angry she rushed to the bathroom adjoined with her room and grabbed her make-up bag. Doing her best to cover up the mark, she looked at the final production and nodded approvingly. There was hardly any sign of the morning's event, thankfully.

"I have got to get out of here." The girl muttered, still staring at the mark she had just covered up. Though she couldn't see it, the image flooded her mind's vision.m Stormy blew her nose and made sure her eyes weren't too blood shot then slipped out of her bedroom quietly, shutting the door without making hardly any noise.

Stormy slinked down the halls and past all the people working for her mother and father. She avoided the kitchen, the den, her father's study, her mother's parlor, her mother's bedroom, her father's bedroom, and any other room that might mean a confrontation with one or both of the two.

The night before had been bad enough, she didn't need a morning one to erupt. Especially with her in the middle of it. At least they usually had the decency to keep their daughter out of it.

* * *

"Hey dere, Pretty!" she heard literally the moment she slipped out of the front door and closed it with the gentlest touch.

"What do you want Conlon?" She asked, turning around and raising an eyebrow at the boy who stood in her mother's garden. "Oh, before you respond I advise you to step out of the sot my mother just put down." She said wisely and began walking to her side yard.

Annoyingly, though expectantly, the boy followed. The two had always been friends, pretty much best friends, but Spot could get on Stormy's nerves easily, as she could get on his just the same.

"Spot, what do you want?" The girl asked as she opened the gate to her back yard. She was on edge and certainly didn't want to put up with any bullshit today.

Spot followed. "I wahnted tah ask yah somfin." He said after he had closed the gate behind himself.

Stormy moved to the other side of the backyard that faced the outskirts of town. She ran over to it, knowing Spot would run after her. They really had to get out of her backyard before someone spotted them. Someone being her mother or father.

She placed her foot against the wood and her hands grabbed the top of the fence. Stormy lifted herself up and pushed over so she flew to the other side. In less than a second, Spot was with her, at her side, with a look of confusion on his handsome face.

"Wow...what was dat about?" The boy asked, his New York accent thick and his grammar poor for not having a proper education.

"Nothing. Is that what you had to ask me?" She asked. His medium length shaggy brown hair with natural mixes of gold and light brown tones in it made him look really good in the morning sun. She couldn't help but feel attracted to him, but as usual she knew it was of no use.

"Nah...I had somfin tah ask." He replied.

"Well what do you want?" She asked as she began walking down the alley behind her house. She knew her voice held an irritated tint to it and felt bad for being this way but she couldn't help it after what happened with her mother. It was different with her father...but her mother.

The boy walked with her, at her side though his steps were more confident than hers. They were silent for a few moments; Stormy caught up in her thoughts about what had just happened merely twenty minutes before while Spot was trying to be cautious with the girl, he knew she had trouble trusting people and he didn't want her to get upset with him.

"Ya wanna go to dah pokah game with me tonigh?" He asked, his hands in his pockets. The silence was broken and Stormy looked over, pushing her thoughts of this morning away. She looked up at Spot. Very unlike most boys who would be looking at the ground in shyness, he stared at her with his blue eyes.

Stormy studied him for a moment. She stared at him and looked him up and down, examining his stance, seeking for some sort of sign that all he was trying to do was get her in the sack.

Spot saw her look that said she was having a self battle of whether to go or not. "Come on, please!" Spot chimed giving a boyish grin that suited him very well. He went to tickle her but Stormy had decided to just go and avoid being tickled.

"OH ALL RIGHT!" She said returning the grin. Spot's hands retreated to his pockets and his grin grew.

"Great!" He said and they continued walking in a sort of eerie but comfortable silence.

"Storms?" Again, the silence was broken.

"Yeah?"

"Why did I heah yellin? I was passin by earlier...This mornin when I was sellin da papes and..."

Stormy was silent and continued walking. Suddenly, she felt like crying and a large lump in her throat arose and she swallowed at a sad attempt to make it go away. She hadn't known her parents were already going at it. Hadn't they done enough fighting last night?

"Storms?" The boy asked, tilting his head to look at her face.

Stormy bit her bottom lip and looked away. "It was nothing." She got out after a few moments of looking away.

"Oh reely? Cause if so dat was a lottah nothin." Spot said and walked in front of her, grabbing her wrists.

Stormy refused to meet his grey gaze and looked past him. The early morning sun was up and birds were now chirping in her neighbor's yards. People's garbage cans were sitting abandoned in the alley they had just stopped walking down. Big blue ones with white trash bags. She noted all this while she was attempting not to meet his gaze, though she knew eventually he would make her.

"Storms. Look at me." His voice was soft and gentle, different from the normal cocky and boldness it held.

She shook her head and the lump in her throat grew. The trash bags had black ties that closed them. A scrawny kitten sneaked around a trash can and hopped onto it's lid. The kitten was grey and white splotched. It seemed young and far too skinny, but energetic as it playfully pawed at a butterfly. It reminded her of the Newsies, the way they always made the best of things...or at least how most of them made the best of things.

Soon she felt her chin being lifted by his hand and her clear green eyes met his cold grey ones. The cold seemed to be more soft than it usually was. Her own eyes seemed to hold a fragile look, along with the tears welled up, just waiting to pour down her cheeks and release the depressing emotion that had been building up inside her for months.

_No more watching kitten apparently._ She thought when Spot's hand didn't move from her chin.

"Storms..." Spot looked into her eyes and saw the tears beginning to fall. His hand cupped her face and those cold grey eyes melted with something that was seemingly warmth and caring. "Storms...what was that all about?" His voice was smooth and cooing.

"You should really have my name instead of Spot, ya know that?" She asked at a sad attempt to change the subject. Her tears choked her and she let out a nervous laugh.

"Wha makes yah think dat? Hey! No changin dah subject, Missy!" Spot added on after figuring out what was going on.

Stormy let out a laugh and shook her head, a small smile on her face.

Spot, whose arm was still holding her arm released her but slipped his arm around her waist. "Come on! Juss tell me." He pleaded.

Stormy took a deep inhale and began talking. "Okay, fine. They're always arguing and fighting and throwing and screaming, and they never stop until somebody gets hurt or they lose their voices or something with my dad's job comes up. But they never seem to acknowledge that I'm still here, that I'm getting hurt. Nope, they never even think twice. I guess this morning they started fighting again. Last night they had a fight...but it was worse than usual. WAY worse. I can't believe they were fighting again."

"Aw, I'm sorry my little butterfly." The boy pulled her into a hug and Stormy's arms wrapped around him.

"Heah, let's get you all cleaned up befoah somebohdy asks what wen' on." He said and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Stormy nodded and attempted to help by wiping her eyes furiously.

"Uhh, Storms, what's this?" The boy asked as the pale liquid-like stuff that had rubbed off of her face.

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**Oo So...what did you think? Did you love it? Hate it? Hmm? Well this is my first time writing on here...so it was short and stuff. The next chapter, which I am working on will be longer and WAY better, I promise! **


	2. Just Friends, Right?

**Hello again! **

**So here's Chapter Two! Out and Coming! I hope you guys like it! I'm kind of just going with the flow right about now. I had some plot ideas and I know partially where I want this to go...so yeah, but if you have _any_ suggestions please suggest them! **

Now! To the Second Chapter

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Stormy closed her eyes and her hand immediatley swept to the cheek that she had covered up. She could feel that it had smudged off and it was now uneven, perfectly allowing parts of the hand-print welt on her face to be seen.

"Nothing." She said, hiding that side of her face by turning away.

"Agahn, that shore looks like a lottah nothin." Spot said and cupped her chin in his hand. He moved it so he could see the side that she was trying to hide. Stormy shut her eyes tightly and breathed deeply.

"Who did dis?" Spot asked as his free hand moved strands of black hair out of her face and gingerly touched what he could see of the red, lightly rised hand print.

"No one, can we please move on?" She asked impatiently, her eyes opening. They no longer were fragile but cold and mean with a sense of hurt.

Spot knew there was something going on. Stormy had her nickname for her changing moods so suddenly, sure, but this...this was different. **Way **different.

"Yah didn do dat to yahself and I know it. Now Storms, tell me dah truth."

"No second option?" She asked with a hard sarcasm. The volumes of her voice chocked him at the sudden sharp, menacing sarcasm that dripped on her question.

"No." He said firmly. Spot Conlon wasn't one to give up. Ever.

"Fine, but not here." Stormy said miserbly. She gave in. She knew he was going to win eventually anyways. Putting things off did no good eiter.

"Okay, but maybe you should fix that." Stormy looked reluctantly back at her house. For a second she thought of going back and redoing her make-up. She shook her head. "No. It's fine."

Spot raised his eyebrows, "yah shore?"

"Yeah, come on, it's a ways to Brooklyn." She said and slipped her hand into his. She used her free hand to rub at her face and try to smear the make up back in place.

"Just take it off." Spot said, grabbing the hand that was frantically running at her face when they were in the streets and out of the alley.

"How? Do you happen to carry make-up remover with you everywhere you go?" She shot back.

"Naw, I ain't like dat darlin', but I know a guy who knows a guy." Spot said with that cocky smirk because he had won that argument, no matter how little it may have been.

"And where is this guy at?" She asked, an eyebrow raised as they continued walking. She wasn't all too sure where they were headed, probably Brooklyn but she was just going to follow Spot for now.

"Dats classified infahmation, doll." Spot said with a grin.

Stormy shook her head with a roll of the eyes. "Most of everything is with you, Conlon." She said with a playful smile.

"CONLON!" A voice unfamiliar to Stormy called out from the crowds of people. For once she actually took in her surroundings. Newsies were in groups everwhere, girls, boys, everybody. They had just corssed the Brooklyn Bridge she realized and smiled. She loved this place.

One boy, about 13 came up. He had short messy black hair and big blue eyes.

"Matty, how's it hangin?" He asked and did the traditional spit in the hand greeting. Stormy scoffed at this and rolled her eyes.

"Pre'y good" The boy started to say something else but his name was called by a group of others who all had their sling shots in hand. "but ' ey... I gotta get goin. I gots sometin to tawk to ya bout later though."

"Aw what? Ya afraid of a lil spit?" He asked holding his hand up to her face, pretending that his motive was to rub it in her face. HE hadn't heard Matty who shrugged and walked away, figuring his Leader would realize he had left eventually.

"UGH! Get away!" She said and let out a squeal as she darted him. He grabbed her around the waist and tickled her a little before he just held her there.

Stormy fell into fits of giggles until they died down and she realized she was still in Spot's arms. She felt uncomfortable...but in a good way.

_Is there even a way to feel uncomfortable in a good way? Of course there is. Wait... Oh this makes no bloody sense at all. _

Her battle within herself ended as she smiled up at Spot in a coy way. "How about ya let me go Mister?" She asked with an innocent look that she had used oh so many times before.

"Awe, but I caught such a beautyful buttahfly." He said in a charming way with an earnest grin playing with a smirk on his lips.

Stormy smiled and batted her eyelashes, looking up through the tops of them at Spot.

Their playful banter continued for a few minutes before some Newsies came up to the two. "Spot, Jack's waiting for ya."

Spot looked to the Newsie who spoke, he wasn't all that old, maybe ten or eleven. Spot was at least eight or nine years senior to him. "Where? Foah wha?" Spot asked, an arm casually around Stormy's waist.

Stormy remianed still while the group of four young News Boys crowded around, delivering that Manhatton's own "Big Boy" was in Brooklyn for a visit with the Fearless King O' Brooklyn.

"Didn' say why sir. Juss tah tell yah when yah came abou' that he was waitin at yah place." The messenger said with a helpless shrug.

"Huh." He said and pondered for a moment.

Stormy remembered how one time when Spot had paid her an unexpected and not really unwanted (though she claimed it as that at the time) visit he had been afraid of her mother's yappy and annoying poodle. She couldn't help but want to giggle. Brooklyn's FEARLESS King, afraid of a yappy poodle. Suddenly the giggles overcame her and she found herself in a fit of giggles.

The younger boys looked at her and then Spot who shrugged.

"Uhhh. T'anks Foots. I'll take care of it from heah." Spot said and watched as the boys walked away. "Wha in da hell is goin on witchoo?" He asked the girl who was recovering from her giggles.

_My God she's hot. _

Spot thought while the girl threw her head up in attention. A smug smirk played on his lips as he watched her.

"You...Mom's poodle...Yappy...you got scared...Fearless Kind O' Brooklyn...scared...of...a...poodle!" The memory popped into her head and this sent her into another fit of giggles.

"Oh shuddup." He barked and picked her up bridal style spinning her around a few times. Stormy laughed joyfully and threw her head back as they spun.

"Where're we going?" She asked suddenly aware he was taking her somewhere,

"My place. Jack's dere waitin, ain't he?" Spot asked, his cool demeanor returning to him.

"Yeah, yeah yeah. All you 'Big Boys' gotta meet up once in a while, huh?" She more stated than actually asked.

"Well no shit Sherlock." Spot replied.

"Aw...Poor baby probably doesn't even know who Sherlock is." She said in a mock sad voice with a tint of pitying someone.

"Hey, Doll, watch out...I'm da one carryin ya, ain' I?" Spot playfully warned her.

"Mmhhmm. but I thought I was your Butterfly?" Stormy replied as they reached the rickety cabin a little ways from the lodging house for the Brooklyn Newsies. It was made of old wood but put together so well that there were hardly any slits inbetween the wood to let a lot of cold air in on winter days. Spot kicked open the ramshackle door to reveal a pacing Jack who was clenching and unclenching his fists over and over again. A look of stress and disdain was painted all over him and his brown shaggy hair was a mess from his hands having been run through so many times. Trickles of sweat fell down his forehead and if one looked close enough you could see there was worry in his eyes.

Stormy examined the room. It was cluttered with dirty clothes on the ground, a few empty bottles, the single dresser where most of the dirty clothes were dumped at with some clean clohes hanging out of the drawers. A single desk near a small window with a table a few feet from it. A candle in the center of the table and on a bed-side table near the old worn bed that was up against the wall lit up the room. She shook her head and smelt the familiar smell of whiskey in the boy's room. He had obviously taken up drinking again.

Go Figure.

"Jesus, wha happened to ya Storms?" The boy asked when he caught site of the two. Spot put Stormy down and slipped an arm around her waist. Jack looked to Spot momentarily thinking Spot could have done it but immediately terminated the thought from his mind.

Stormy was jolted out of her examination by Jack's question. Her body went rigid and she froze for a moment before regaining her composure.

"Just an accident." She said and slipped out of Spot's arm and pushed past the two boys and into the washroom that was connected by an old wooden door to Spot's cabin.

An old cracked and dirty mirror barely showed her her reflection. She sighed and was thankful they had running water here. She let some water fill the sink and bent under the sink to look in the cabinets under it for a towel. She was damned and determined that if she did anything she'd clean up this place while she was here.

A disapproving scoff left her lips as she pulled out an old white towel from the disgustingly dusty space under the sink and dipped it into the lukewarm water that had filled up the porcelin sink half way.

It was an old sink, a very old sink and the color was an off white mixed with an off blue. The colored ended up a light blue, almost grey color. It reminded her of Spot every time she looked at it. She took the end of the towel she had dipped into the water and rubbed at the mirror, slowly taking off the dirt and grime.

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Spot was surprised by Stormy's sudden action but didn't stop her.

"What was dat all bout Spot?" Jack asked bewildered

"Nothin' dat concoins yah yet, Jack." Spot answered and this seemed a good enough answer because Jack dropped it.

There was silence for a moment between the two and they could hear Stormy scoff at something in the bathroom.

"Whats goin on Jacky Boy?" Spot asked as he took a seat at the table and motioned for Jack to take the seat across from him.

"We goddah problem Spot."

"Wha happened?" Spot asked, suddenly concerned though his eyes still wore their icey look. Jack usually came to him when they had a situation but he wasn't usually this distressed.

"One o' our boys den got demselves caught up in somfin I'm not shore I can take care of."

"Wha is it?" Spot asked, leaning back in his chair. He pulled out a cigarette and lit up. "Ya wan one?" He asked, holding out the pack from across the table.

"Shore." Jack said and took a cigarette. Spot threw him a pack of matches and Jack lit up, skiding both the pack and the matches back to Spot.

"Sos... Go on buddy." Spot encouraged.

"We got ourselves a snitch." Jack announced.

"Whadya mean?" Spot asked, his ears perking at the mention of a snitch.

"Well ya know wha wen down da othah da ovah the brigde...somebody's gonna sqeel." The elder of the two said and burried his head in his heads "Spot we gottah do somfin."

Spot was silent, relazition that this wasn't something petty as he had begun to think it was.

"Jacky-Boy, you know what we gotta do, right?" Spot asked finally.

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Stormy inspected the mirror with a smirk of triumph on her face, the dirty towel still in her left hand. "There." She said approvingly, placing both hands on her hips. She looked at her reflection and other than the cracks in the mirror you could now clearly see yourself when looking at it.

"Damn...She slaps hard." She said grimacing. Her fingertips brushed the welt lightly and she shook her head, a sad frown on her face. The memory of this morning still haunted her. Her mother had never harmed her...never. Not even as a child...

Shaking thoughts that she didn't want to think about anymore out of her head she decided to go to work on getting the thick make up off of her face.

Again, she bent down to look for a clean towel. "Spot...you need more towels." She grumbled through clenched teeth as she searched through the cluttered cabinet. Empty bottles, some cologne bottles, some random objects like a discarded tooth brush here or there or a bandage came up but no towels other than tow large ones. Sighing she pulled out of the cabinet and rested on her knees for a moment.

Stormy tried again, pushing everything to one side causing a lot of bottles to clank together several times. She pulled out a single hand towel and rolled her eyes. "I should have gone back home and done it. This is way too much work for one towel." She said bitterly.

Standing up she looked from the towel to her reflection and emptied the sink of the brown water, turning on the water to make sure that there wasn't any dirt left in the sink. She closed her eyes and let out a depressed breath.

"Darlin', Save some foah da fishes!" She heard through the door and laughed.

She put the clog in the drain and let the warm water run over the cloth. She put it to her cheek and began rubbing in circles.

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Jack nodded and sighed, glad he had Spot to help. Brooklyn was always close with Manhatten and they were always there for each other when one or the other ran into a trouble.

"Ya like a bordah to me Spot." Jack said, also leaning back in his chair. He placed his hands behind his head and placed his foot against the table, pressing to list the front two legs off the ground.

"Yah ain't gonna hug me, are yah?" Spot asked, "Cuz...I ain't like dat Jacky-Boy."

"Naw. I ain't gonna hug yah." Jack chuckled.

Water started running and there was a comfortable silence in the room between the two boys. 

"Darlin', Save some foah da fishes!" Spot yelled out after a few minutes of hearing the water running. He heard a laugh and a satisfied smirk played on his face.

"So Spot you an' 'er goin' ou' or somefin?" Jack asked, rocking his chair with his foot.

"Naw, we's just friends...dats all." Spot said, but secretly he wanted to say yes. He had always wanted to say yes every time some one asked that very question.

"Da tow of yah have been "Juss Friends" For a long time, doncha ya t'ink?" Jack asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yah...I know Cowboy, I know..." Spot said trailing off. "Believe me when I say I wouldn' mind datin' 'er but I'd prolly end oup givin up mah ladie's man life style, t'know?"

"Yeah...She's an odd broad da one." Jack said with a shrug.

"Yeah, she shore is." Spot agreed and a smile played on his lips. He closed his eyes, he too rocking his chair with his foot.

After a few minutes Stormy came out of the bathroom, a disgruntled look on her face. She had both hands on her hips and her eyes were narrowed.

Spot opened his eyes to this and raised his brow. "Whats up doll face?" He asked, letting his chair fall to the floor. He got out of it after the wood crashed against wood making a rather loud noise. "Ah, it ain't so bad, is it?" He asked, taking her face in his hand and gently running his fingertips over the wound.

His touch sent shivers down her spine and where his fingertips touched felt warm.

_Uh-uh I cannot be crushing over Spot Conlon, the Ladie's Man of New York. This simply won't work. _

She tried to make herself think other wise but the tingling sensation he gave her kept coming.

"Naw, it ain't as bad as I thought it was." She said finally.

"You shore are pickin up an accent Goily." Spot teased, slipping an arm arond her waist and pulling her over to his chair and onto his lap.

Stormy smiled and pretended to be aggravated. "Yeah, all thanks to you guys. You know, you are a very bad influence on me." She said with mock ignorance and a fake glare. She situated herself to feel comfortable.

"Ah, I know sweets, I know." Spot said and then a smirk fell onto his face, "Ya like dough, ya know ya da."

"Unfortunately...Yes, yes I do." she admitted and a light crimson shade flushed to her cheeks.

"Hey, at least she's an honest broad!" Jack said.

"Yeah, can't have a liah." Spot agreed.

"Oh, damn! I was sup'sed ta meet Davey bout ten minutes ago. I'll talk to yah latah Spot. Bye Storms, I'll see yah 'round Hatty latah sometime."

"See ya Jack." They both replied in unison.

Jack waved and walked out of the little cabin, leaving the two alone.

Stormy's head fell inbetween Spot's head and his shoulders. "Ya know, I been t'inkin'." Spot started, his breath blowing some of her black hair.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, turning her head slightly.

"Why havn' we evah dated?"

The question got Stormy thinking. _Why haven't we ever dated? Oh yeah...cuz he;s a horny ladie's man who can't keep a girl for more than five days. _

"Because, Mr. Conlon you have a reputation you must keep up, remember?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

'True, true... But! Yah know... " He trailed off, his voice was intriquing and Stormy found herself hanging on his every word. This faces were less than four inches apart. "I'd give it all up." He finished just as Spot's right hand man, Sam, cracked the door open. "Uh...Spot?"

Spot let out an agravated sigh. "Yeah, Sam?" His tone showed that he was obviously inturrupting something.

"Um, I would have waited until later but you have a visitor." The boy said. His voice was full on uncertainty as to what to do.

"Who is it?"

"It me Spot!" A high pitched voice yelled as though the door was closed and three inches thick.

Spot groaned and let his head fall into Stormy's back. Stormy laughed and got up off of his lap slowly. She was facing his the whole time. "And that- Is what I'm talking about." She said as she sauntered out of the room, opening the door to reveal the sandy haired boy who looked very uncomfortable.

"He's all yours, sweetie." Stormy said to the blonde who reminded her of a dog on crack. She was perfect in every way. Perfect long legs, perfect long blonde hair, perfect blue eyes, perfect lightly tan skin, perfect height, perfect. Stormy rolled her eyes at the squeel that erupted from those painted red lips and walked over to the bridge, she leaned against the bridge of face the water.

"Heyya Storms." Stormy looked to her left see a Manhattan Newsie that was very familiar to her, Racetrack Higgins.

"Heyya Race!" She replied with a smile on her face.

"What ya doin' heah? Doncha mommy want ya to stay away from us bois?" He asked teasingly. His eyes saw the slap mark but they only stayed on the mark for a few seconds before they turned to her clear green orbs.

"What she don't know, won't hurt her." Stormy said and turned back to the water. "What brings you to Brooklyn?"

"Pokah game tonigh' figured I'd spend da day ovah heah after I sold all my papes." He said with a shrug Stormy saw from her preifferail vision.

"Yeah, Spot told me about the poker game. Whose all gonna be there?" She asked just have an idea of what to expect. The boys usually had a very scuffs, some got drunk and passed out before the games were over, some got kicked out.

"Well, it's juss a free nigh tonigh so no one special, people from da Bronx maybah, Queens fo' shoah, Manhattan gonna be dere to. And o'course do brooklynites gottah be dere, its bein held heah. A lottah people dough, why ya goin'?" He asked, his gaze fixed her face.

Stormy still looked out over the bridge. "Yeah, Spot wanted me to go with him, so I'm going." She said with shrug.

"Ya know, people wondah why da two of yah nevah date or somefin." Race said as though suggesting they hsould date.

"Well, I'll give you a good reason." She said smartly and turned to face him. "He's got the worst reputation with girls ever to be known in New York and - What?" The look on Race's face confsued her. She couldn't tell what he meant by it. .Ugh. Doesn't he like have a different girl every week?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, but ya know Storms, da two of yah fit. Yah do, everybodahy sees it doll." Race said with a sweet smile.

_I want himmmm. Spot I mean. I want Spot...but-his reputation...It's so bad. He's never kept a girl longer than two weeks. I don't want to give him my heart and have it crushed._

"But, Race, I don't want to give him my heart and have him stomp all over it after he sees someone better than I am and goes after her." She said reasoning with herself.

Stormy had had a crush on Spot for a while but had to push her feelings away. She'd seen what Spot did to his girls. He'd flirt, smile, be happy, blah blah blah two days later he dumped her.

"I know, I know Storms but...ya shud _try!_" He gave her a hopeful look.

"He did bring it up earlier..." She trailed off and Race's face beamed.

"He did? Come on go out with him!" Race pushed her shoulder playfully.

Stormy groaned. "I do not want my heart broken."

"Don't worry, Doll, he hoits ya, I'll hoit 'im." Race said with look on his face telling her it was the truth.

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**Okay...so my second chapter is done...what do you think? A review would be nice! Umm...trust me, there's going to be a lot of angst, mysery, substance abuse, and all kinds of things I have planned for chapter three! It'll start getting intersting VERY soon, I promise!**


	3. Poker, A New Leader, and An Old Past

**Okay so Chapter Three! Drama is always good for a fic, I have to say. Don't worry the deeper the story gets the more other Newsies will come in to play. Also, this is set in the early 1890s, so it's been about four years since the strike making it the summer of 1890. **

**In case anyone needed that tid bit:)**

**READ ON!**

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People were beginning to to crowd the Brooklyn Lodging House. The downstairs part of the lodge that was like a den almost was cleared away and an old scratched up table was place in the center. The population had more guys than girls, though this was expected. Puffs of cigar and cigarette smoke here and there fogged the air.

Racetrack Higgins sat at the big table leaning back in his chair, a cigar in his hand a smug expression on his face. Spot sat across from him at the table an equally smug, if not more cocky expression on his face. A cigarette was lit in his hand and he took a drag. Cowboy, Jack Kelly, sat next to Spot (a foot away) with a cigarette in-between his fingers as well. A pack laid between the boys with a small box of matches next to it. Other boys dotted seats around the table. The game hadn't started so there was a fair few seats that weren't claimed yet. Flick, the Bronx Leader, was sitting next to Race and they were talking about the races while they both smoked a cigar. Flick had short dirty blonde hair that was almost always messy. Other than his hair though, he was always clean, unlike most Newsie boys.

A brunette with long silky hair had her arms around Jack's neck and was sitting in a chair behind him, whispering in his ears. Jack smirked and turned his head to whisper back.

Spot wasn't paying attention to his friends though, he was watching as the black haired girl walked over to the bar they had set up and got three drinks. He and Stormy hadn't had time to actually talk since before the blonde had come to pester Spot. He rolled his eyes thinking of what had happened in his room that afternoon.

Stormy turned around after filling three mugs with the amber liquid and, expertly handling them, walked back over to the table. She walked behind Spot, putting one near Jack and one near Spot. then she went and placed herself on Spot's lap, feeling his arm slink around her waist. She smiled and thought about her conversation with Race earlier that day. She placed her own mug in front of herself.

"Didn't know ya favored whiskey, Butterfly." Spot noted.

"Eh, I've been around you guys too much. I'm accustomed to it now." She said shrugging and spun around, putting her legs on either side of him. Since she was wearing fitted black pants and a short sleeved dark blue button up shirt with a light blue outline it wasn't too riskay of her to be doing this. If she was wearing a skirt, that would be another thing.

Thankfully, no one around them realized this seeing as they were all too caught up in their own business.

Spot looked into her clear green orbs which seemed to be electrifyingly green. His grey-blue ones were cold as they usually were, but there was a glint of happiness in them as he looked at the girl.

"Whatcha up to, sweetie?" He asked, both of his hands on her waist.

"Ya know, I've been thinkin' about what you said earlier." Stormy began. She knew Race was listening because his talk with Flick had died down a bit and she could feel his eyes on her back. She smiled.

"Oh, have ya now?" He asked. Spot focused on her and only her. He had a way of making her feel like she was the only one in the room. A smirk that was as cocky as ever was playing on his lips.

"Yeah." She said. Stormy still had doubts about dating Spot, but she knew Race was always true to his word so she continued. "So, I was thinkin', we should, ya know, date." She finished and that smirk grew wider. "What do you think?" She asked, her hand against his chest, the fingers of that hand running small lines up and down.

"I think dats a grea' idea." He replied and kissed her sweetly. She smiled and turned around. Spot was watching her the whole while. Race looked at Stormy and they made eye contact. He gave her a big smile and a wink before turning back to Flacks and lighting another cigar.

Spot wrapped an arm protectively around Stormy's waist and she felt the difference of the tightness and way he held her than before. A pleasant smile formed on her face while she laid her head on his chest. He was wearing a clean white cotton shirt and old brown worn pants. Spot's confident, steady breathing could have lulled her to sleep if there wasn't so much noise in the damn place.

Jack finally turned his attention from the brunette as she slinked out of the lodge. He looked at the two and the way they were sitting and smirked. "I knew ya would end up datin' each odah." Jack said a smirk on his lips.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Spot said as he took a drag.

Race sighed impatiently. "Where da hell is da new leadah o' Queens?" He said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"I'm here. hold ya horses Racetrack." The voice of a young woman rang out through the now silent room. No one. No one in the history of newsies had ever had a girl leader. Ever.

Race's mouth dropped. "Lucks." He greeted once he regained his composure. All the boys were speechless while the girls' faces beamed with pride.

Being one of the first to speak, Stormy opened her mouth. "Hey Lucks, it's great to see you again." Her friendly smile and obvious new gleam in her eye must have helped to say that she and Spot were now together.

Lucks smiled and her head flipped to the girl. "Stormy!" She exclaimed, pushing her short blonde hair out of her face. She abandoned the seat she had just taken up and walked over to them. "Spot? You mind if I steal Stormy for a tic?" She asked and Spots arms loosened his grip. Stormy stood up and Lucks grabbed her hand, pulling her away to an empty corner on the other side of the room.

Lucks smiled cockily. "I knew you two would hook up sooner or later." Lucks whispered smugly.

"I know, I just don't want my heart to be thrown back at me." Stormy confessed to someone who could actually give her some "girl" advice.

"Trust me, babe, it won't be. I think you might change the Lady's Man of New York for once and for all."

A smile crossed Stormy's face, "Ya think so?"

"Oh yeah." the other girl nodded, her dark blue eyes beaming.

"So, you're the new leader of Queens?"

"Mmmhmm and it's great! A little feminizing never did wrong, has it." She said, pushing some strands of hair out of her face.

"Did JAck have anything to do with this?" Stormy asked. They were talking in whispers now because all in the room was silent.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She asked but the grin on her face gave it all away.

"Are you SERIOUS! I can't believe it! Okay, he likes you."

"Does not."

"Does SO."

"Not uh."

"Um, yeah."

"Whatever." Lucks said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "Wanna know who does though?" She asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Well, duh." Stormy said, linking arms with the girl.

"HEY GOILS WE WANNA START DA GAME LETS GO!" Spot and Race yelled at the same time. They then noticed that all the guys were sitting around the table now except for those who weren't going to play.

"Whoops." Stormy said and they both erupted into giggles. "But come on tell me."

"Oh! You'll have to see what I did to the place later, okay?"

"Well, duh!" Stormy said and rolled her eyes as though this was obvious. "Now tell."

They started over to the group, whispering and falling into fits of giggles. They stopped when they got to the table, both of them with their faces flushed, trying to suppress their giggles. Stormy unlinked arms with Rose and took her seat on Spot's lap. Lucks saw that the only sat available was next to Race so she walked over and sat in it.

Stormy looked at Lucks with a 'TELL ME NOW' look but Lucks just rolled her eyes with a smug smirk and shook her head.

Race began shuffling the cards and soon then game was started.

"I know nothing about Poker." Stormy confessed in a whisper.

"You'll learn, Butterfly, you'll learn." Spot said while he looked at the cards that Stormy held in her hands.

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Race leaned back in his chair, the smuggest expression ever on his face. "Anyone wanna play again?" He asked, shuffling the cards.

The other boys groaned and Race laughed, pulling all of his loot towards him.

Stormy returned to the table with five mugs filled to nearly the top with whiskey.

"Who knew a goil like 'er cud 'old 'er liquor so 'ell." Spot said motioning to Stormy as she placed a mug next to Jack's arm.

Jack nodded, "Ya nevah knew what tah expect from 'er."

Stormy walked to Lucks and crouched down, whispering into her ear: "Tell me NOW."

Lucks merely gave a small smirk and said "Later."

"Well. fine ." She said standing up and placing a mug next to Race before walking back over to Spot, their mugs still in her hands.

She placed the mugs on the table and sat down on his lap again, his arm protectively winding it's way around her waist. He kissed her neck, holding her hair out of the way with his free hand.

"Storms, isn't your mom going to wonder where you are?" Lucks asked suddenly. Stormy jolted upright, her back going rigid. Spot was surprised because he had momentarily forgot about Stormy and her mother's fight this morning.

Trying to relax, she fell back against his chest and Spot took her hand in his.

"Probably not." Stormy answered finally.

Lucks gave her a questioning look that Stormy gave an "I'll tell you later" look back to.

Lucks shrugged and sighed. "I'm kind of tired."

Stormy brought the glass to her lips and let the amber liquid flow down her throat, leaving a hot trail.

"Yeah...Me too." She agreed finally.

"Spot, mind if I steal your girlfriend for the night while I show her around Queens?" Lucks asked.

Spot regarded the new Leader carefully. He didn't want two girls walking alone in Brooklyn. "Yeah, shoah. No funny business dough and I'm sendin' this bloke with ya two till ya get tah Queens safe and sound." He said and hollered, almost immediately a big, burly guy about a year older than Spot came up behind him.

"Yeah Boss?"

"Take dese two tah Queens. Come back after. No stalling." Spot's orders were short and strict. Everyone knew what would happen if any guy didn't follow them to the word.

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**Chapter three is finished! I know it wasn't too great but there's something big planned for Chapter four so stay tuned!**


	4. Can You Hear Me Scream?

**Author's Note: I own this plot, no takey!**

**Now, read on!**

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The large guy nodded shortly before going to the door to wait, his arms crossed against his chest looking like a bouncer.

Stormy whispered into Spot's ear. It had to be something really good because that trademark smirk of his plastered itself on his face; Stormy and Spot exchanged their good byes and a sweet, tender kiss.

Race kissed Lucks's hand and bid her good night with a promise to stop by Queens sometime soon.

Lucks turned to Spot and spit in her hand, a cocky smirk on her face; Spot returned the smirk and spit into his own hand and shook. Stormy grimaced at their handshake and shot Jack a mock glare when he started to chuckle at her reaction. Race simply shook his head at Stormy.

The girls linked arms and faced the boys.

"Night boys." They both chimed in unison before they made their way backwards to the door where the guy, whose name they had never caught, was waiting to follow them. They waved flirtatiously, again in unison before turning around and opening the door and leaving, Spot's guy following after them.

The girls started their walk, heads close talking quietly and erupting into fits of giggles every now and then. They hadn't seen each other in a while and it was nice to have some time to catch up and talk about old inside jokes and share stories.

"I can't believe it! You and Race? AGAIN? Oh my God!" Stormy said excitedly in a whisper.

"I know!" Lucks said and then bit her lip. "Do you...think we'll last?"

The nervous demeanor of her friend didn't surprise her. Race and Lucks had been on and off for a few years, then finally in January something big went on and they broke it off. The two hadn't spoken since then and it was now mid summer.

"Yeah, you know. I think you will." Stormy said after thinking it over. She knew she was lousy when it came to lying to her best friend and was glad that this was what had honestly come to her mind.

She knew Lucks was smiling because she was silent for a moment before hugging Stormy and then beginning to walk again, her hands behind her back. Stormy smiled contently, her mind racing with thoughts of Spot.

After they were a good ways away from the lodging house and almost past the bridge, but not quite on it the man stopped his silence with a gruff and crude:

"Halt."

Lucks and Stormy froze.

The tone in the man's voice frightened Stormy but her face remained emotionless, she had picked up this trait after being fairly close to Spot for so many years. It was something that came in handy, like right now. He had taught her this without actually teaching it to her. She looked to Lucks and saw that she too was scared. Lucks was frozen, her body rigid. Her eyes were wide and frear was written all over her face.

There was a silence between the three. No one said anything, nothing was heard except three different rates of breathing. One was unsteady but confident. Another was filled with an obvious fear. The third was confident but loud showing to one who actually paid attention to these things, that it was scared of what it should do.

"What is it?" Stormy asked finally breaking the silence that had been going on for the past two minutes. Her voice was rough at first but cleared out after the word 'What'. She knew this was the wrong thing to do or maybe just say when within a second of her speaking she felt a sharp metal object touch her skin and rough, calloused hands grab her tiny body.

She wasn't sure if it was the man Spot had sent with them or not, but she was scared.

"Not one word Princess." The guy whispered in a sick, seemingly twisted voice. Stormy swallowed a lump forming in her throat and felt the metal dig into her skin causing a small cut. A small trickle of blood flowed and she could feel it crawl down her skin and onto her shirt.

That's when she decided it was certainly the man he sent with them.

All kinds of crazy thoughts flooded her head._ Did Spot know about this? Was this planned? It couldn't be... _She pushed them out of her mind when panic rose within her, feeling the wetness of the blood on her shirt grow into a bigger circle.

Every nerve and ounce of common sense in her told her to scream bloody murder. Following her brain to do so she opened her mouth, fully prepared for a high pitched scream to come out, only...nothing came. Closing her mouth and reopening it to try again didn't seem to help, though she tried this quite a few times. Finally closing her mouth in defeat her eyes darted for some one, anyone...but there was no one.

Thats when she finally looked, as best as she could without causing any more harm to her throat, next to her where Lucks had been and found that the new Leader of Queens was no where to be found. She was gone.

_Please God, tell me she's out getting Spot for help...please._ Her thoughts were pleading, but she knew it was hopeless. Something inside of Stormy told her that this might be the end.

The guy tightened his grip around her body and neck and pushed her with him as he pushed his way down an alley. Stormy wondered for only a moment if he knew Lucks was gone. She had no longer time to think after that.

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After seeing what the guy pulled to Stormy's neck and having a chance to get away with the guy's attention on only Stormy, Lucks took that chance and began to run back to what she thought was the way to the lodge. Reality of what had happened overcoming her, Lucks became utterly confused so instead of running about and getting lost she did what she was best at. She stopped running and screamed. High and loud; pretty much anyone in Brooklyn had to have heard. She moved away from the scene as to not get caught by the murderous and twisted man and she screamed again. Hoping...praying...that this might help. That maybe someone would come and save Stormy.

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After the girls had left safe on their was with Jonsy, Spot remained talking with Jack and Race about normal issues with the Newsies, all three smoking either a cigar or a cigarette and sipping from a mug of some sort of alcohol or another.

"Did you hear that?" Spot asked, putting his hand up to silence the two. They were the only ones left now, and it was really late so Spot was alert; besides...this was Brooklyn of all places. One almost always had to be on their gaurd.

"What?" Race asked a little confused.

"That scream? It's really high pitched-"

Race's face flashed with realization. "Wait...I know that scream." He listened for a moment before all three yelled out in unison that it was Luck's scream.

Spot's face drained of all color and he jumped up, running out the door without saying a thing, his cane in his hand. He heard the scream again and ran towards it.

"Lucks!" He yelled and saw the girl standing in the street near the bridge.

The nearer he got, the more he realized that Stormy wasn't with her. He also realized how scared the usually cocky and confident girl was. "Lucks?" He asked when he reached her. the girl was shaking terribly and it looked as though she might cry.

Lucks saw someone coming and almost didn't notice it was Spot until she saw his gold handled and tipped cane.

"Spot...he took her." She said, fright overcoming her. She couldn't help it, her legs lost their sense of control and she fell into him.

"Shhh...shhh." He tried soothing her as she began crying. "Lucks, ya gotta tell me who took Stormy."

"Him...your guy." Lucks managed to get that out just as Jack and Race came up.

"Race, Take care of her would ya?" He asked and turned to Jack "Cowboy...I need your help."

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Stormy stumbled as he shoved her down a cluttered alley. It was full of old discarded junk. Glass was shattered everywhere, rats scurrying about, rusted dumpsters filled to overflowing.

The more he pushed, the more the blade pushed into the thin skin of her neck. The more the blade cut, the more blood she lost. The more blood she lost, the more and more she began slipping into unconsciousness.

The man who had managed to keep himself behind Stormy this whole time kept whispering in her ear. He'd whisper all sort of sick, twisted things.

_Oh God... Please...Please, help me._ She thought, tears forming in her eyes. Her vision went blurring from the tears gathering. The thought of what he might do to her in this alley scared the hell out of her.

The next thing she knew she was being shoved against a brick wall, the man's hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, the other held the knife against her throat. His knees and lower body held her against the brick wall.

Finally, something kicking into her system sent her thrashing around at an attempt to get away. This guy had to be really, really strong to be able to put up with her or maybe he just really wanted her to die.

_"You know, pretty, I've been watching you." _His voice was a whisper...but a sick whisper laced with a slur of the New York accent and way too much alcohol. "_I know yer from monah too. Conlon's a smart one... Getting his hands on a goil dat comes from monah."_

"Get away!" Her voice was muffled through his hand. She kept trying to get away but as time began to pass, she felt more light headed. It seemed like it took way more energy than needed to simply attempt to speak. Her eyelids began fluttering open and shut and then she felt herself slipping into a sweet black unconsciousness and her body was limp of any fighting.

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**Gah! I know it was short... I'm sorry. PLEASE review though. Suggestions are nice as well!**


	5. Flashbacks and the Aftermath

**So like... You have no idea. I rewrote this chapter SO many times...**

**THANK YOU LUCKS FOR BREAKING MY WRITER'S BLOCK! I LOVE YOU! LOL**

Race and Lucks stood outside the Brooklyn Lodging house sharing a sweet kiss. This was mainly too keep Lucks's mind off of the current events. She was prone to asthma attacks when things like this happened and no one liked it when those happened because she** flipped out.**

Neither one of them really heard Spot and Jack come back until Spot made it obvious with a crude comment about Lucks being a whore. Apparently his sweetness had worn thin with the event's happenings.

They broke apart with Lucks glaring at Spot and Race looking depressed with the breaking apart and the fact that Stormy looked lifeless. Lucks spotted Spot's bloody knuckled and noted that Stormy wasn't standing. That's when she saw Jack holding her. The girl's head was lolling back, mouth slightly open, eyes shut. Lucks almost threw up when she saw the blood slowly seeping from her neck that was staining her shirt.

She choked and fell into Race, tears flooding her eyes. Lucks pulled at his shirt with her fists.

Meanwhile Spot opened the door for Jack and the two boys brought the unconscious girl into a storage room on the second floor of the Lodging house, across from a bucking room. Spot lit a lamp and moved boxes and old news papers out of the way while he waited for Jack to place Stormy on the small cot that was the biggest object in the room.

Jack stood, looking down at Stormy. The girl seemed peaceful but the blood currently streaming from her said otherwise. "Spot...we gotta..."

"I know." Spot interjected. his voice was curt. "Jack go take care of the guy in the alley."

Spot turned and faced the window without saying anymore. The window was small and cobwebs made it hard to see out of it.

Lucks and Race came in, Lucks wiping tears from her face. She looked at Stormy and gasped. Her face was scarily pale. Without saying a word she walked across the hall into the boy's bunking room and flung open a cabinet, grabbing some gauze, a couple of small towels and some alcohol.

She shook her head, forcing tears away when she returned and forced herself to get near Stormy. The nearer she got, the more tears slid out, even though she was trying to force them back. Lucks tried to seep up the blood in a small hand towel, hoping it would help the cut to stop and scab over.

Race pulled her away when she started sob and pulled her into his arms. Lucks was sobbing loudly and fell into his chest, helpless. This was her best friend. they had known each other since Stormy had moved to New York when she was six. They had met by accident at a market. Stormy had ran into her.

_**FLASH BACK!**_

_**Luck's POV**_

_**I sighed haughtily as I stood arms crossed over my chest next to my mother who insisted on dragging me with her while she shopped for what groceries we could afford. **_

_**That's when I saw her. A girl my age with straight black hair flying about as she ran around, chasing a boy our age. I let go of my mother's hand and followed them, my blue eyes wide with curiousity. **_

_**The girl turned seconds after the boy turned around, a small smirk on his face as he ran past me. The girl giggled and didn't seem to see me, seeing as she ran smack into me. Either that or she had no depth perception.**_

_**"Ow!" I let out rudely.**_

_**"Sorry." She said with attitude, putting her hands on her hips. We both stood up and sized up the other.The two of us smirked. We knew we would be the best of friends. Stormy linked arms with me. "I'm ." She said grinning. **_

_**I looked at her and grinned the same. "I'm Delilah." I introduced myself and saw the boy ahead of us, sneaking through a throng of legs after seeing me look. "Who is that boy?" I asked, pointing after him.**_

_**"OH! His name is Spot. I just met him. My nanny took me out here cuz we need more groceries, but I found a friend and ditched her." Stormy said, shrugging. **_

_**"Is he nice?"**_

_**"No." Her huffy voice announced and I giggled.**_

_**"He's cute." I announced, a blush on my face.**_

_**"Yeah. He sure is." She announced a little dreamy. "COME ON! Let's get 'im!" She was suddenly full of energy and grasped my hand, pulling me after her. We both giggled and ran after the boy we all know today as Spot Conlon.**_

Lucks shook out of her flash back a small smile on her face.

Her eyes shot to Spot and she had to suppress a chuckle. She loved memories. They always made her feel bad in times of need.

Spot turned from the window he was staring out of again and his cool grey eyes took the two other people in the room into focus. "You guys can leave. Actually...you should. It's dark and obviously... it's not safe." His face nor voice held any emotion.

Race nodded silently. "I'll drop by tommorah."

Spot nodded curtly and turned back to the window, thoughs reeling through him.

Race turned to leave with Lucks but Lucks was seemingly fixated with Stormy's body.

"Come on, babe."

"No."

"What?"

"No."

"Why not? You can see 'er tomorrah."

"I don't care."

"You dah new Queen 'a Queens. Yah need to get back."

"I don't give a damn. That's my best friend lying there." Her voice was suddenly hard and told Race not to push any more or he'd regret it.

Race sighed and ran fingers through his hair.

"Looks like yah got a visitah stayin withcha Spot." Race said, giving in.

Lucks stood there, proud of herself for standing her ground, but feeling like she might collasp.

Spot sighed and turned around. Lucks stood there, he could tell she was hurting inside and felt like crying. He could have prevented all of this. All of it.

"Fine." He said harshly and turned back to the window. Regret and guilt rushed over him like a wave waiting to drown him.

Lucks nodded at Spot and looked to Race. "You should leave."

He nodded. "Jack needs help." He paused. "What are you going to do about Queens?"

"When I don't show up my second in control will take over." She said, looking at him, but not seeing him.

Race sighed and kissed her forehead before departing.

"Spot. You need sleep." She said after a few minutes of sitting on the dusty floor, leaning against a box, her eyes not leaving Stormy.

"So do you."

"No. I don't." She said.

"Yeah. Yah do."

Lucks sighed. _Was he always this hard headed? How did Stormy ever put up with him?_

"You have to sell papes in the morning." She said after thinking for a moment.

_**Flashback!**_

_**Spot's POV**_

_**I was standing outside, selling my last few papes when a girl came hurdling around me, nearly knocking me over. **_

_**"HEY WATCH IT!" I shouted, regaining my stature. **_

_**The girl giggled and made circles around me in a taunting way. She was wearing a white frilly dress with dark green flowers printed on it. Her hair was flying about, it was straight as be and so black it looked like it had a blue tint to it. I immediatley fell in love with her.**_

_**"HEY!' I shouted again. This time she stopped. **_

_**"Hi!"**_

_**"Who are you?" I demanded, my eyes narrowed.**_

_**"Who are you?" She asked. **_

_**I stood up straight andpuffed out my chest. "I asked first."**_

_**"Oh yeah?" She asked, taking a step closer.**_

_**'Yeah." I said, stepping up, looking down at her.**_

_**She level with me and looked me in the eyes, her clear green eyes shocked me and I smirked. **_

_**She bit her lip and glared at me. **_

_**"I'm Spot." I announced, my chest puffing out proudly. "Spot Conlon." **_

_**"I'm Riley...Riley Peters."**_

_**"Riley's a boy's name."**_

_**"Spot's a stupid name." She spat back and I opened my mouth then closed it. My eyes narrowed to slits and I shot her a glare.**_

_**"Oh yeah?"**_

_**"YEAH!" **_

_**I bit my own lip. This girl was a challenge. "Yeah, well you're annoying." **_

_**"No. I'm just not afraid to back down." Our six year old selves argued with each other.**_

_**I pinched her arm and she ran after me chasing me around the market place we were both in. Then a few minutes later she ran into a girl with shoulder length curly blonde hair. Her eyes were big and blue and she seemed exactly like Stormy...A Girl With An Attitude. I hated her already. **_

Spot shook his head, pushing the memory away. He thought about how afterwards they chased him around until Luck's mother and Stormy's nanny had called for them.Before Stormy had left though...she had placed a silly kiss on his lips...He didn't understand that girl...and he realized that he still did not.

He did know one thing, how ever, he loved that girl.

**Okay! So...it's over, what did you think! Review, please! Suggestions aer always, always nice!**


	6. Welcome Back, Doll

**Whoo! Welcome back everyone! Please read and review! I apologize about how it is seemingly SHORT.**

Stormy's eyes fluttered open, light flooding into her vision, causing her to shut her eyes. The bright white hurt her from having not seen light in what  
seemed like years.

She heard two voices that stopped the minute her eyes had shut tightly and she felt the light being withdrawn from the room she was in. Slowly, she  
opened her eyes to see Lucks and Spot sitting on empty crates.

"Hey." She let out in a raspy whisper.

"Shhh." Spot cooed as he approached. He bent down and sat on his knees. His eyes were a light blue, filled with caring and adoration. His hand was  
curled up in a soft ball and brushed her cheek. Stormy let her eyes close for a moment before opening them and staring at Spot's face.

His sweet, handsome face was etched stress from everything that had happened. Puffy purple bags hung under his eyes. Stormy smiled as best as  
she could, given the situation and pulled her arm from her side.

She felt weak, almost too weak to be moving her arms and couldn't think of why she did feel like this.

She opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off by Spot placing a sweet, innocent, tender kiss on her lips. She smiled and took his face in her hand  
which felt as heavy as a bag of big rocks. She ran her thumb back and forth across his jaw bone and part of his cheek.

"I love you." She said, it was filled with meaning.

"I love you too." He whispered it, his soft breath blowing on her face, sending sweet shivers up her spine.

Lucks stood, watching this scene and smiled weakly. She knew her two friends were meant for each other...it had been obvious since the three had met.

Race entered the doorway and saw that Stormy was awake. He smiled happily and brightened up. "How she doin?" He asked in a whisper towards Lucks,  
taking her in his arms.

"So far pretty good, she just woke up."

Race nodded and sighed.

"How long have I been out?" Stormy asked weakly.

"Almost a day." Spot choked out. Hope, happiness, and a sensation he had  
never felt before bubbled over him, though he would never let on to this.

Stormy coughed and closed her eyes tightly in pain. Her throat was hurting and her free hand flew up to it. Spot stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"No..." He said, shaking his head.

She sighed.

"I can't lay here like this. What are my parents going to do?" Reality slapped her in the face harshly, making her realize that she actually did  
have a life and parents unlike some of the Newsies who lived at the Lodging House.

"It's all taken care of." Spot said.

"Yeah but-"

"Just shush." He said, and it was an order.

Stormy nodded, not at all affected by his words. She closed her eyes, not feeling one bit drowsy.

"What happened?" She asked finally.

Lucks and Race exchanged nervous glances, but Spot stared solely at Stormy.

"Apparently, dat guy was 'a no good. He was a rat sen' by a gang leadah over in da Bronx. I ruffed up some o' dah leadah's bois the othah day and so he   
gave the order to kill you off. See, that guy had been with me for a while. I didn' know he was with Smalls...that's the gang leadah's name." He started  
to say more but he noticed Stormy was stuck on one thing.

"He was going to kill me?"

Spot was silent for a second. "Yeah...He was...Lucky for me that Lucks was with ya and had da sense to scream. You know how loud she can be, well this  
time it came in handy."

Stormy smiled weakly.

There was a knock at the door that Race had closed upon his entrance and Race opened it. "uh, Boss, dere's someone down stairs who wants tah see  
you?"

Spot sighed and waved his hand as though to tell the boy to leave.

"Buttahfly, I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" He asked softly.

Stormy nodded slowly and watched his get up and leave. She could tell his footsteps changed as soon as he closed the door. They were the usual  
confident, brisk, wide-stride foot steps the Leader of Brooklyn usually held unless angry.

Spot walked down the stairs, a gruff expression on his face. He stopped when he saw Flick and furrowed his brows. Flick hardly ever came to Spot unless  
he needed help or it was poker night.

"What's up Flick?" Spot asked, nodding his head towards the door. There were some Newsies still in the main room and Spot didn't want a conversation that  
didn't need to be overheard, overheard.

Stormy sighed and slowly sat up, ignoring the protests she got from Lucks and Race.

"Yeah, so what happened during the day I've been out of it?" She asked, ignoring the pain and the concerned looks she got from the couple near her.

"Not much, Spot was worrying his head off, Jack came by, Lucks had to go take care of Queens, I had to sell papes, the world continued going on  
without you. Some people visited, but most just asked us questions.

Stormy sat up straighter, balancing her back against the wall, only hearing the first part.

"Really?"

"Yes, Stormy, the world went on without you for a day." Race replied, chuckling a little.

"Huh? No, not that. The Spot thing." She said, obviously playing this over and over again in her head.

"Yeah, he was really worried about ya, Storms." Race supplied, leaning against the door that was now closed.

Lucks finally spoke from her silent spot next to Race.

"It was weird Stormy; no one has ever seen him this upset over someone for a long, long time."

Stormy felt a smile spread onto her lips and she realized that they were surprisingly chapped.

"Can I.get some water?" She asked a weak smile now on her face.

"Yeah shore." Race said and left to get a cup of water from downstairs.

"Stormy, I know you and Spot have always been really close, but no one, NO ONE, has ever made Spot Conlon cry."

"WHAT!" She spat out, it just slipped like word vomit. She knew that no one had ever made him cry but she didn't think that...no, this had to be impossible.

"Yeah, don't tell ANYONE you heard it from me, but when it was just me and him in here last night, he was crying. Silently, but he was. No one has ever  
seen Spot cry, ever. It was weird Storms, it was really weird." Lucks spoke fast and in a hushed tone.

She seemed paranoid that someone might be on the other side of the door listening in and she'd get in trouble if she revealed what she knew.

"Wow." That was all Stormy seemed able to say. She knew that she and Spot had been best friends for years, but Spot Conlon never really cared about  
people so much as to send them a Get Well card. Which, he had also never done.

"Stormy.I think you may have actually done the impossible."

"What's that?" She asked, closing her eyes lightly. Being laid down for an entire day had sent all the blood elsewhere and it was now rushing to her  
head, making her slightly lightheaded.

"You." She started but paused, then started again. "You may be the one and only that is going to chance Sean Conlon's life."

"Oh shut up." Stormy denied, though a small smile was on her face.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"N-" Lucks shut her mouth when both Race and Spot came in, Race with a glass of water, Spot with a face that was unreadable.

"Here ya go." Race said, handing Stormy the water. Even with her eyes closed she could tell where his hand was.

Her hand grasped the glass and she brought it to her lips with experted grace.

Spot stood numbly by the door. His face and stature were both unreadable. He didn't like instances like this. They bothered him, especially with other people being there. Instances like these made him uncomfortable.

Spot cleared his throat and blinked. "Uh, hey guys, can I have some time alone with Storms?" He asked, finally speaking up.

"Yeah sure." Race said and shrugged, slipping an arm around Lucks.

"Course!" Lucks replied happily and secretly winked at Stormy before leaving with Race, closing the door behind them.

Stormy's eyes fleeted from the departing pair to Spot to her feet. She had never had to deal with this kind of situation before. Well that's a given because she and Spot had never dated. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly she felt helpless and scared like a deer caught in the headlights of a huge van.

"Who was there?" She knew this was pathetic but hoped that Spot would see through it.

"Flick. Juss wanted tah see what was goin on."

"Ohh." She replied, nodding slightly.

"You had us all scared, Storms." He said suddenly, averting his gaze to the window.

Stormy was silent, now really knowing what to say.

"I know." She finally said, after a few moment's silence.

"Hey Storms, I know you'll probably be wanting to go home... but you can't. Not right now..." Spot turned to face her, his hard expressions softening. "We have to let all of this blow over...let your neck heal. It might be a few weeks."

Before he had a chance to say another sentence, Stormy's natural instinct set in.

"What about my parents?"

"We took care of that last night. I had Lucks call and tell your parents that the two of you were going to a two week long summer camp."

"My parents bought that?"

"It took us a few minutes but after reassuring them that you were in the rest room and had asked Lucks to call and tell them because you were ill and both of you were leaving in a few minutes for the station-"

"Okay, okay. They bought it after you got done explaining." She cut him off, not really needing to hear it.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Stormy nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"So, we have you for two weeks."

"More like YOU have me for two weeks."

And with that comment, Spot's cockiness was back.

**OMG! It's like...over. Well not the story, but the chapter!**

**What did you think? Reviews...would be nice! Very nice, indeed!**

**I have to admit that I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. It took me almost a week to finished it because I ran into writer's block a few times. As you can tell I had four and five written a head of time and I also had six partially written but yes...Well it's finished now! **

**Suggestions are GREAT as well.**

**Much love to my lovely readers!**


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